Let Your Hair Down
by ChippyBritt
Summary: When Donnie accidentally catches April without her usual ponytail, April realizes that sometimes it's okay to let your hair down. Apritello


**Hey guys, I** ** _promise_** **I'm working on my other story, I'm just writing multiple chapters at a time and trying to figure out my plan. Here's an adorable oneshot, please enjoy it as much as I do!**

* * *

April sat up and rubbed her eyes. She had been asleep, but a loud slamming had woken her up. She swung her legs over the side of her bed and stood slowly, deciding she had slept long enough. She left her room.

Surprisingly, Master Splinter was not in his meditation room. He was walking past April's room when she exited.

"Hello, April," Splinter said warmly, "did you rest well?"

"Yes, thank you Sensei." April smiled. Then she frowned, upon noticing how quiet everything seemed. "Where is everyone?"

Splinter nodded with a smile. "The boys have gone to the surface for a few hours, since it is night. I decided to allow them to go up for a while."

"Oh," April raised her eyebrows. "Well, that's nice. Um, I think I'm going to go take a shower, and then maybe watch a movie or something. I'm not tired anymore."

The large rat nodded. "Alright. I will be meditating if you need me at all."

"Thank you, Sensei." April bowed. Splinter rested a hand on her shoulder briefly, then left for his meditation room.

April made her way to her bathroom, grateful that she finally had some privacy. She loved living with her best friends, but there were some things she just wanted to be alone for. Especially if she was going to have her hair down.

• • •

Fully dressed, April wrapped a towel around her wet hair and exited the bathroom, walking towards the kitchen. With no one around, she decided not to fix her hair just yet. Instead, she was going to fix herself a snack.

She sighed as she passed the empty couch and the dark television. The silence was nice, but everything felt so _deserted_.

The kitchen light was already on, which was a little confusing, but April didn't think twice about it as she entered the kitchen. She unwrapped the towel on her head and folded it over her arm, letting her damp hair fall over her shoulders.

There was a soft ' _clink'_ , and April jumped as she realized there was another figure in the room. The green shape turned around, and both teenagers froze as Donnie's eyes met April's.

He had a steaming mug in one hand, and was holding a thick book open with the other. His mahogany eyes were the size of dinner plates, a look that would have made April laugh if she wasn't frozen in terror.

"Uh..." His voice said shakily, "H-hi, um, April..."

April's hand shot up to her head and she gathered her hair, holding it behind her neck to make it appear like she had a ponytail. "Um, hi Donnie. I thought you were, uh, topside."

He shook his head. "No, uh, I stayed behind to finish up some work and then read."

"Oh."

They stared at each other for an awkward second.

Donnie cleared his throat and set his mug and book on the counter. "Um, c-can...can I ask you something, April?"

"Uh, yeah, sure." She looked up at him nervously.

"Why are you, um, holding your hair back like that? You don't have to answer, I just was...curious." He rubbed the back of his neck anxiously.

"Oh," April grasped her hair tighter and looked down at the floor. "I, um, I don't let anyone see me with my hair down. I haven't since..." She let out a breath. "Since my mom died."

Donnie's eyes widened. "April, oh my gosh, I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to-"

"No, it's okay," April cut him off and gave him a small smile. "It's not me, it's, well... it's my dad."

The turtle's brow raised in confusion. "Your dad?"

"Yeah, um, after my mom left him, he said that my long hair reminded him too much of her, so we cut it shorter and he made me keep it in a ponytail all the time. He convinced me that I look terrible with it down. That was years ago, and I just...can't  
letanyone see." She glanced up at him uncertainly, twisting her make-shift ponytail. 

Donnie was gaping at her, his mouth wide open and his brow furrowed. " _What?_ April, that is _ridiculous_. You can't live like that!"

April shrugged. "I have been though, and I just-"

"April." His voice was soft but stern. April glanced up at his eyes, which were staring into hers. She was almost surprised at what she saw; she could tell that he was legitimately concerned for her. He stepped towards her, gently taking her forearm and  
pullingit away from her neck. She let go of her hair and let him hold both of her hands in his. She felt her hair tumble around her shoulders, and she tilted her head down at the floor shamefully.

Donnie was completely silent for a long moment, and April found herself wondering if both of them had forgotten how to breathe. One of his hands reached up and fingered her hair, slowly letting it fall back onto her shoulder.

"April," he whispered. A large green finger lifted her chin gently, causing her to face him, but April kept her eyes on the floor. "April," he said again, louder.

She finally looked up into his eyes.

He let out a soft breath before saying quietly, "You are the most _beautiful_ thing I have _ever_ seen."

Eyes widening, April looked at him in shock. She could _feel_ her cheeks on fire as a blush attacked her.

Donnie chuckled and touched her hair again. "I don't know what your dad could have _possibly_ said to convince you that you do not look good like this, but I am telling you right now...he is very, _very_ wrong."

To April's surprise, he leaned forward and pressed a kiss to her forehead. "I hope you wear your hair down more often, Princess. It's absolutely gorgeous." Then he let go of her hands, turned around, picked up his book and mug from the counter, and leftherstanding  
in shock in the middle of the kitchen.

After a minute of processing what had just happened, April blinked and slowly reached up to touch her hair, then her forehead. A grin broke out on her face, and she spun around in delight, letting her hair fly around her.


End file.
